Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-13
RELICS OF FRENCH ROYALTY.
First Day of the Sale Of the Crown Jewels
in Paris.
HOW THE AUCTION WENT OFF
The Big New York Jewelry House of
Tiffany Secures a Diamond Neck
lace-Some of the Other
Bargains.
French Crown Jewels Sold.

11eTalu CaDle-SpeClal TO the BEE. line
sale of the crown jewels came off this after
noon with great eclat at the Pavilion de
Glore of the Palais du Louvre. On the high
platform OF the glass dome, surrounded by q
crimson velvet canopy trimmed with gold,
sparkled all the jewels of the French crown.
Two hundred policemen stood at intervals
watching the GOO ladies and gentlemen who
represented the public. Two hundred jewel
ers occupied 20O arm chairs near the auction
eer's pulpit, representing the most famous
diamond houses OF the world. The
czar, the sultan of Turkey, the emperor
of China, Kaiser Wilhelm, the emperor
OF Austria, Queen Victoria, the kings OF
Italy. Belgium. Portugal, Holland and Den
mark; the Comte de Paris and the Orleans
princes; ROthschild, Bleichroder, Wander
bits Barings and the Duke of Westminster
all had their agents on hand ready to pick up
anything that suited them. The interior of
the pavilion was tastefully decorated with
red and gold velvet. The ceiling was hung
with enormous blue and white cotton. On
the walls were three magnificent specimens
OF Gobelin tapestry, bearing fleur de lys and
the crests of the house Of Bourbon. One of
these tapestries depicted the sccritice Of
lphegena, which the few royalists present
pointed out ironically as parallel to the
sacrifice of tae crown jewels forced upon the
French nation by NJ. Goblets government.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST ROBBERY.
Every possible precaution was taken to
guard against robbery. The large vault
directly underneath the Jewels was occupied
by ten policemen. Telephones and electric
bell wires communicated with all parts eff the
hall and with grounds outside the building
THE AUCTION OPENED.
| At2 o'clock NJ. Esoribe, the commissare
| priseur, with staff of two experts -Messers.
Vanderheym and BlOche-wIth six assistant
| auctioneers, took possession of the auction
| eer's platform. ON, Escribe, venerable
| looking gentleman with snow white hair,
| torid complexion, snow white military
| mustache, dressed in black. with a red rib
| bon of the Legion of Honor, brought down
every hammer with loud whack and read
| the decree of President Grevy, authorizing
| the sale and then announced the conditions
| of the sale, stipulating tina. purchase money
| must be paid in fOrty-eight hours and CO uts
| of the price paid in addition to cover ex.
penses of the sale.
| TIE FIRST SALES.
At twenty-five minutes past NJ. Escrbe
brought the ivory hammer down with an
other loud whack and offered lot No. l
for sale, consisting o. two diamond balls at
tached to two silver hairpins. The two balls
| contained 324 diamonds, weighing $50 carats.
| This beautiful epingles de coiffure had been
often worn by Empress Eugene. The first
offer was 10000 francs, at which price 1t was
knocked down to NJ. Alfred Doutroulong,
a jeweler of Lille, who is believed
to be one of the agents of the
Orleans princes. The hammer fell ex-
acty at forty-three minutes past 2,
thus taking up eleven minutes During the
sale the two precious hairpins were handed
about among those present, the jewellers, on Q
after the other, taking them in their tnge RS,
holding the diamonds close to the mouth,
breathing on them and then gazing at them
intently trying to detect flaws.
The second lot was two shoulder knots,
made of l,34l diamonds, 2S3 carats. These
were passed round on blue velvet tray and
after fifteen minutes lively bidding, knocked
down to NJ. Doutroulong for $1,000 francs,
also for the Orleans princes.
Then lot No, 3, epaulettes, PAL diamond s,
IA carats, was sold in about eight minutes to
syndicate from the London jewellers, for
%, 100 francs.
THREE SPLENDID ROSES.
The fourth lot three splendid roses, made
of 522 diamonds, 130 carats, was passed from
hand to hand about fifty jewelers. breathing
on them one after another, scrutinizing each
stone. One old man, with strong Jewish
features, breathed very violently indeed on
the dazzling roses and afterward wiped
them with large red and yellow silk hand
kerchief. This operation, however, called
forth the remonstrances of police officers
and was no. repeated. These roses, after
fourteen minutes bidding, were sold to
Roavant & Depres, Paris jewellers. 62 due d
Esautteville, for 400 francs. General
Chang Cha Tong, of the Chinese embassy,
who was present at the sale in full Chinese
costume, made a bid for these roses but not
buy them.
Lot s, a knot with two tassels composed of
243S diamonds weighing 1877 CARTS, sold to
Schlesinger, jeweler, rue Chauchat, Paris.
for AZ, 200 francs.
Lot 6, diamond ring, was bought by NJ.
Doutroulong for 300 francs. Lot Z, a
small crescent, was baught by Schlesinger, a
Paris jeweler, for 81, 400 francs. Lot s, hair
pin made of AIT diamonds weighing 66 carats,
was sold for IT, 600 francs to NJ. Doutrou long.
Lot 0, consisting of seven diamond stars,
sold for 22, 500 francs to several firms of Pari-
sian jewellers.
THE TIFFANys' PURCHASE.
At half past five the tenth lot, consisting of
a necklace OF four rvieres, made of 222 dia.
mOndS weighing 563 caratS, was, after thirty
five minutes very spirited bidding, knocked
down to the Paris representative of the
Messrs. Tiffany of New York for $4,000
francs. This was beyond all comparison the
finest lot of to-day's sale, and the auction
ended to begin tomorrow afternoon.
Immediately after the sale l asked Tiff
fany's agent if he bought the necklace for any
private buyer in New York or simply for the
firm.
He replied: mo. for the firm only"
Iasked: what do you think of the prices
for which the jewels are seling?"
lie answered: "AlmOst everything to-da
went for 80 per cent to 100 per cent more than
the intrinsic market value. The only lot
that went at reasonable price was the neck
lace"
To-day's sale thus ended with the sal'
Of the ten least valuable lots o
the collection and the purchase money
amounted over half million francs. There
are altogether forty-eight lots. Each gen
will be sold separately. The sale will thu!
last ten days at least.
/ II